Melissa adjusted the straps of her little black dress, hoping to get Roman's attention. Nope. He continued talking on the phone. She sighed.
"Roman?"
The man in question ignored her as he continued his call. He was going on about some missing inventory.
Melissa understood that Roman was busy a lot of the time. After all, he was the CEO of a world-renown sports equipment provider. People from the NHL to the MLB used the equipment. The business took up a lot of Roman's time, she got that, but did it have to ruin their romantic dinner together? It was their two-year anniversary and he hardly even noticed she was there.
Melissa picked at her dinner even though her appetite was gone. Just as well go through the motions, that's what Roman was doing. He hadn't said a word to her since they sat down, as he'd been on repeated calls with work.
She had to admit though, he was looking mighty fine tonight. Black suit, blue tie, his long hair tied back into a low ponytail. She always believed herself to be so lucky to have him as her man, but sometimes she wondered if she'd be happier if she hadn't agreed to go out with him two years ago. At least she would feel like there was more than her in the relationship.
No. She was happy with him. She loved him dearly. She wanted nothing more than to be by his side always. But sometimes she wondered if they wanted the same thing out of life.
By time the check came, Roman was on another work call. Melissa rolled her eyes and kept silent, heading to their car, Roman nod far behind her.
He held the door open for her and she slid in, buckling her seatbelt. A moment later, Roman, surprisingly off the phone, took the driver's seat.
"So," Roman spoke, "you enjoy dinner?"
Melissa didn't even turn her head. Just folded her arms across her chest and stared straight ahead. "I'm surprised you even noticed I was there."
Roman started up the car and pulled out into traffic. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Melissa leveled him with a look. "What I mean is that you were on the phone the entire time we were in that restaurant. You never said a word to me."
"I had an emergency come up at work. What was I supposed to do, ignore it?"
Melissa clenched her jaw. "If you had such an emergency, we could have cancelled dinner and went out some other time."
"No, I promised you I would take you out to celebrate our two years together..."
"And you spent the whole dinner on the phone. Couldn't Seth have handled it? Or Dean?"
"Seth and Dean are not CEO of the company. I am."
Melissa huffed. "But why tonight?"
"Do you think I fucking planned for this to happen tonight? Give me a break, Melz!"
"Why should I? This is just another example in a long line of them. My birthday? Late meeting. Thanksgiving? Out of town meetings. It's a wonder there's not some meeting coming up for Christmas."
"That's not fair, Melissa. I worked a long time to get where I am. I am the youngest CEO this company has ever had. I worked my ass off to get here."
Melissa turned her head to look out the window, seeing Pensacola flying by. "But at what expense?"
Roman felt a cold chill go down his spine. He didn't like where this conversation was going. "What do you mean, at what expense?"
Melissa turned to look at her lover. "In two years together, you've changed. Don't get me wrong, I love you, I always will, but I don't know if it's enough anymore."
Roman felt the blood drain from his face, his shock quite obvious. "You can't mean that."
"I'm tired of being in our home alone. I'm tired of having to go through your secretary to talk to you. I'm tired of having to use a vibrator for satisfaction."
Melissa was surprised she was saying these things, especially the comment about her vibrator.
Roman didn't know what to think. He'd been working so hard to create a life for them and she might leave him? He couldn't fathom that. He needed her in his life. She was his life.
He pulled the car into their driveway. The car had hardly stopped when Melissa was out and headed towards the house. Roman sat there pondering her words. Was she right? Had he changed that much? So much that she had to resort to a battery-operated object for satisfaction? God, what had he become.
He leaned his head against the wheel, his hands bracing his head. He didn't want to lose Melissa. He loved her with every fiber of his being. But she was right in that all the success in the world means nothing if you lose the love of your life.
Roman leaned back, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. He should have just told her the truth about work. It would have nipped all her talk in the bud pretty damn quick. He climbed out of the car, grabbing his briefcase, keys and locking the door. He headed inside to silence.
"Melissa? Come down here please!" he called as soon as he opened the door.
Roman laid his briefcase on the floor and removed his shoes, draping his jacket on the back of a wing chair, putting his tie there as an afterthought.
"What?"
Roman looked at Melissa, really looked. She looked tired, defeated, hurt. It was all staring him in the face and he didn't see it. How blind was he?
"I want to talk about what you said in the car."
"I don't."
She turned and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. She drank down half of it before stopping, while Roman watched. He followed her into the kitchen, going up to her but she neatly evaded his embrace, moving to sit in one of the chairs. She wasn't going to let him kiss his way out of this.
Roman sighed and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "Melissa, please."
She looked up at Roman. "Please, what? Don't be mad? Don't get pissy?"
Roman swallowed hard. "Don't leave me."
Melissa rolled her eyes. "Why should I stay?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, but like I said, it doesn't feel like enough. I'm in this relationship alone, Roman. Think about it from my perspective. What if I was the one working 60 to 80 hours a week? What if I was the one taking business calls during a dinner out? How would you feel and react?"
Roman tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. She was right. She was absolutely 100 percent right.
"The work calls are a means to an end."
Melissa looked confused. "What does that mean?"
"I'm handing the CEO position over to Seth. That's why I've been so damned busy for the last several months. He's in line and I've had enough of the grind. I don't know how you haven't seen how run down I am. Too tired to even make love to you."
The woman lowered her head, but remained silent.
"I was putting as many hours in now so I could retire earlier in life and then we could have the rest of our lives to ourselves."
Melissa never thought of it like that. Still, so much had happened. She didn't know if it even mattered anymore. She stood up, ignoring Roman's eyes.
"I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
As she went to walk past Roman, he pushed her up against the wall, crushing his mouth to hers. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, sucking on her tongue. His hands roamed down her sides before sliding around her back, grabbing her ass and holding her tight against him.
"I am not letting you go, Melissa. No chance in hell. I'll quit first."
He slammed his mouth back on hers, pulling back and picking her up in his arms, bridal style. He wondered, the bedroom or the couch. Screw it, he thought, the couch is closer.
Roman stopped and let Melissa land on her feet. He looked at her with so much love she almost started crying. He fell to his knees, resting his head on her stomach, his hands grasping her hips.
"Don't leave me. Please, I need you too much," he mumbled. His voice was so low Melissa almost didn't hear him.
Melissa felt his hands slid around to her ass, his long fingers squeezing her. He reached up under her little black dress to pull her underwear down. He lifted one foot, then the other to remove the lingerie. Then his hands slid up to her ass, this time under the dress while he grabbed the front hem of the dress with his teeth, pulling it up. His tongue flicked over her slit, tickling the tender flesh there. He laid his tongue flat, laving her with long strokes, making her moan and clutch his head.
Roman pulled his head away and moved Melissa to the couch, laying her down, bracing her against the back of the couch. He parted her legs, pushing them wide. He leaned in to kiss her mouth again, his fingers carding through her hair. She met his mouth with the same passion while pulling the cups of her dress down to fondle her own breasts. Roman playfully bat her hands away, pulling the dress completely off of her, leaving her wearing only her high-heel shoes.
The Samoan kissed down Melissa's throat, down her chest, until he reached her breasts. Then he fastened his lips around one nip, sucking it hard, drawing a strangled groan out of Melissa.
"God, Roman!"
The man circled an arm around Melissa, holding her close, resting his head against her chest a moment before drawing back and continuing his previous activity. His mouth trailed over her slit, then his hands came down to pull her lips apart. His agile tongue circled around her clit, then he licked from her hole up to her nub. He repeated this motion several times until she was writhing in pleasure.
After a beat, he slid a finger into her core, making her clench around it. He drew it in and out, creating a delicious friction. So much so that he added a second finger, burrowing them as deep as he could get them. He tongued her clit, her juice copious, and she cried out his name as she clamped down and came hard against his mouth. Her breaths came in short, harsh pants, her back arched, her legs constantly moving, her pelvis trying to hump against Roman's face.
After she came down from her high, Roman pulled his fingers out, inserting him into his mouth and licking off her juices. As Melissa recovered from her intense orgasm, Roman removed his own clothes. Gloriously naked, he knelt in between her legs and pushed his hard cock into her pussy, relishing the feel of her surrounding him again.
Roman paused a few moments, reeling in his control, his hands running over Melissa's breasts and stomach before gripping her hips. Then he started to thrust into her in short, fast movements while she wrapped her legs around his hips. As time passed, his strokes became longer and deeper, his control firmly at hand.
Roman abruptly pulled out of her, grabbing her by the hips and bending her over the couch, her knees firmly on the carpet. He spread her legs and thrust back into her. He loved taking her from behind. It felt like he got so much deeper in her core that way.
Reigns ran his hands up Melissa's back and around her to knead her breasts, pinching at her nipples just the way she liked it.
"Oh god, Roman! Yes!"
He put one hand on her hip, pounding into her now, her ass bouncing under the power of his thrusts. He pulled her back so she was astride his lap, facing away from him. Grabbing her hips, he bounced her on his lap, thrusting like a madman into her soft body. Oh how he loved her body.
Pushing a finger into her dripping pussy, he easily found her clit, pressing hard on it, making her scream his name and come again. Her tunnel clamped down on his dick, the friction making him shoot his seed deep inside of her.
Melissa and Roman were panting hard. She rested her body on the couch while Roman laid on her back. After several minutes, he gently slid out of her and laid them both down on the couch. Spooning her, Roman wrapped his arms around her sweaty torso, leaving a kiss on her shoulder.
"I love you, Melz, please don't ever doubt that."
Melissa smiled. "I don't doubt that, baby. I never have."
"Then don't leave me."
"I won't."
"You mean that?"
Melissa turned her head. "Of course I do. I would be lost without you."
Roman smiled, reaching down to grab his pants which were close to his head. "I was going to do this earlier, but now is the perfect time."
Melissa looked at him confused, turning over to face him, their legs intertwined. She watched, and her eyes widened as she saw what Roman had in his hand.
Roman smiled at her and opened the little box. "Melissa, will you marry me?"
Tears immediately sprang to her eyes and she nodded her head. "Yes, yes!"
Roman kissed her knuckles as he slid the diamond solitaire on her ring finger. Then he kissed her mouth tenderly while wiping away her few errant tears. He reached up to the blanket laid over the back of the couch and pulled it over them.
"I love you baby," Roman said again. "I'll never stop loving you. And I can't wait for you to be my wife."
Melissa smiled widely, happy, sated. She kissed Roman's lips before telling him again, "I love you too."